Process for utilizing the liquid associated with peat.



NILS TESTRU]? AND MATTHEW ATKINSON ADAM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, AND THOMASRIGBY AND GEORGE W. ANDREW, OF DUIVIFRIES, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNORS TO WET-CABIBONIZING LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PROCESS FOR UTILIZING THE LIQUID ASSOCIATED WITH PEAT.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NILs Tnsrnur, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, and residing at 3 Dean Farrar street, Westminster,London, S. W., England; MAT- THEW ATKINSON ADAM, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at 57 Lincolns Inn Fields,London, W. (3., England; THOMAS RIGBY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, and residing at 61 Loreburn street, Dumfries,Scotland, and GEORGE WILLI M AN- nnnw, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, and residing at 61 Loreburn street, Dumfries,Scotland, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Process forUtilizing the Liquid Associated with Peat, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in processes for the utilizationof peat by heat treatment. Processes of this kind depending as they doupon some chemical change in the material, induced by heat or otheragency, or both, to render the water of the peat more freely expressiblecause some of the solid matters to pass into the solution and this isparticularly so in the Ekenberg process to which the present inventionmore especially pertains. This process is described as alsomodifications to which our invention is more particularly applicable inBritish Patents Numbers 10834 and 20420 of 1903, 17610 of 1911 and 17427of 1912. In carrying out this process we have found that the effluentfrom presses and the like in which the treated material is dewatered contains, besides substantial quantities of organic acids (some volatile)and sugary matters, caramel or the like, an appreciable and oftenimportant part of the nitrogenous matter of the peat solids, somesubstantial portion of which exists as volatile nitrogenous bases 6. g.ammonia. Moreover we have observed that under different conditions ofoperation 6. g. with variation of time or temperature of heating,initial acidity or otherwise of the raw material this source of loss iswidely affected. Thus we have found that higher working temperatureslead to higher nitrogen contents in the efiuent as instanced by the caseof a peat which when heated for twenty minutes at 170 C. yieldedSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1915.

Application filed January 27, 1914. Serial No. 814,717.

20% of its nitrogen to the liquid, some 14% appearing in the solidsobtained by desiccation of the liquid and which when heated on the otherhand to 180 C. for twenty minutes yielded up 26% of its nitrogen that insolution representing 19% while in the first case quite 4% of thenitrogen of the peat solids was liberated in one form or another asvolatile compound on treating the efiluent solids with alkali. Accordingto the present invention this loss of nitrogenous matter, such asammonium compounds is avoided and in some cases turned to advan tage theeffluent being concentrated to render its solids available forgasification and by-product recovery from the gases andthe conditionsunder which the peat treatment is carried on being in some casesmodified so as actually to increase the proportion of materials passinginto solution. In this way not only is undue loss of valuable productsin the effluent avoided but where, for instance, the object of the peattreatment is to produce fuel-briquetsthe latter can be deprived of aconsiderable portion of productsfor example, ammonium compounds which tothe fuel consumer are of no interest but if saved in the fuel preparingprocess represent a considerable source of revenue and cheapen the costof fuel production.

In carrying out the invention for instance in one way using any of themethods set out in the patents and applications referred to, theeffluent from the peat, the gases escaping from which can be treated forany ammonia they contain, is treated for recovery from it of volatilenitrogen compounds and acids it contains as well as to free it fromresidual dissolved gases, chiefly carbon dioxid, which could interferewith the subsequent evaporation. This treatment may take the form ofsimple distillation to recover volatile acids or distillation to recover ammonia after addition of lime or alkali to liberate the same andincidentally t0 fix the carbon dioXid, or both treatments may be carriedout although it is often convenient during the evaporation which is bestcarried out according to the method of British Patents 12462 or 22670/11 (Soderlund) to treat the steam evolved for acids or ammonia bypassing the steam through gen in by-pr'oduct recovery plant.

an absorbent liquid in one ormore washers maintained at the rightconcentration and temperature to prevent steam condensing therein and ifnecessary externally heated for this purpose; When the material by suchtreatment has been freed of its recoverable acids and ammonia andconcentrated to say a water content of between 50% and 60%, it can bepassed straight from the evaporator, it being then in a syrupycondition, to a gas producer of the peat plant'in which peat is beinggasified to yield power and fuel gas as well-as toyield up its ni tirohe syrup can be pumped in definitequan'tities into the producer and itssolids'b'ein'g of good calorific value contribute their share in theheat balance of the process yielding.

under favorable circumstances practically enough heat to balance thatconsumed for the evaporation and: their nitrogenousmatter'is recoveredalong with that of the main bullcfrom thepeat. On the other hand theliquid be concentrated more or less to dryness (say 5% moisture content)and mixed-in with the peat before consolidation for gasification orconsolidated to yield blocks of: material to be mixedwith the other'fuelgasified.

"The material before gasific ation may be 7 treated for the recovery ofother or additional' matters than those described such as sugars and byfermentation alcohol, and

the residue then gasified.

Having: now described our invention, what we'claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent is-:-

1; A- process for utilizing the liquid associatedwith peat, in'which thepeat is sub jected to heat treatment rendering said liquid expressible,then pressed, and the separated liquid concentrated to evaporate thebulk of the water it contains, the concentr'a'ted residue'gasified' andtheammonia produced in gasification separated from the gases; as setforth.

2-. A process for utilizingthe liquid as sociated with peat in which thepeat-is heated to a high temperature under pressure preventingebullition an'd'the' liquid separated from the peat hy pressure,concentrated" to a syrupy consistency, admixed with consolidated wetcarbonized peat and the mixture gasified' with by-product recovery fromthe gases; as set forth. I

3. A process for utilizing the liquid associated with peat in which thepeat is wet product recovery to yield up the remainder of the'nitrogenous matter; as set forth.

In testimony whereof We have signed our namest'o' this specification inthe presence of two' subscribing witnesses;

NILS TE STRUP. V Ml ATKINSON ADAM. T, RIGBY l -.G'. W. ANDREW.

Witnessesto the signature of Nils Testrup':

BERTRAM' H. MATTHEWS, R. ELDRIDGE.

Witnesses to the signature of Matthew Atkinson Adam 'BERTRAM Hi;Mnrrrmws, 'WIIJfiAM 1 BIRD: 'Wi'tnesses to' the signatures of ThomasRiglliy' and George William Andrew:

DUrrwoRrH',

Bonn-E.

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